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Cody Bellinger is reportedly leaning one way in his upcoming contract decision with the Chicago Cubs this offseas
The Chicago Cubs will need to have a big offseason in 2024 following another disappointing season on the North Side, failing to make the postseason again. Among the decisions to be made that will impact the 2025 roster is from slugger Cody Bellinger.
The 29-year-old signed a three-year, $80 million deal with the Chicago Cubs in 2023 and has an opt-out after one year, and a player option going into the third year. And while Cody Bellinger doesn’t have to make that decision right now, a new report suggests he’s leaning a certain way.
Jacob Zanolla of Ivy League Cubs is reporting that Cody Bellinger is ‘leaning towards opting out’ of his contract with the Cubs:
“Several sources have indicated to Ivy League Cubs that Cody Bellinger is leaning towards opting out of his current contract with the Chicago Cubs, and testing free agency this winter,” Zanolla said. “Nothing is set in stone, and (Bellinger’s agent) Scott Boras can change his mind at any time, but the signs are pointing towards what is the right choice for the team and the player.”
“Knowing that you have someone who can play a strong first base is an incredible feeling as a manager, and knowing that the same person can play an incredible center field is even better.”
“One of Bellinger’s best qualities is his defense, and the fact he can play multiple positions. He won a Gold Glove award in 2019 for his work in center field, the same year he won the National League MVP award.”
“He provides plenty of value on both sides of the ball, but that doesn’t mean it’s in the Cubs’ best interest for him to stay around. He raises the talent floor of the 2025 roster, but blocks some of the top prospects. Bellinger also makes it a lot harder to acquire a big bat this offseason. If Boras and Bellinger decide to opt-in and return to Chicago, they have $52,500,000 left in the two years remaining.”
“Bellinger will have to make his official decision in the coming weeks, which will lead way to a massive offseason as the Cubs try to make the playoffs in a full season for the first time since 2018.”
Cody Bellinger had a big year for the Chicago Cubs in 2023 and then decided to sign that deal this past offseason. But his 2024 campaign wasn’t what the Cubs had hoped for as he dealt with injuries and struggled to be consistent.
Still, Bellinger is one of the Cubs’ top hitters on the roster.
What will Cody Bellinger do?
If Bellinger does opt-in, he would be owed $52.5 million remaining over two years. He has to make a decision in the coming weeks and has an annual salary of $26,666,667. If he believes he can get a deal over $27M from another team, then it might be best for him to take that offer.
That’s a big ‘if’ however for Cody Bellinger.
This decision will certainly play a big decision for Cody Bellinger and the Cubs offseason plans do hinge on this a little bit. As they continue to seek more help for their lineup and a power bat, having to replace one would just add even more the the needs list. Let’s see what happens and if the Cubs front office can come out a winner this offseason to get this thing turned around.
More must-reads:
- Yankees release two-time All-Star pitcher
- Cubs to host 2027 MLB All-Star Game
- The '250-strikeout MLB seasons' quiz
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Five biggest winners from the MLB trade deadline
The dust has settled from the MLB trade deadline, with approximately 50 trades taking place since Wednesday morning. Contending teams looked to fortify their playoff chances, rebuilding teams hope they have building blocks for the future and other teams straddled the line between buying and selling. We've already gone over the biggest losers. Let's take a look at five teams that improved their situation the most coming out of the July 31 trade deadline. Athletics overhaul farm system with eye toward Las Vegas Trading a closer for one of the top three prospects in baseball is enough to make any team a winner at the deadline. The A's managed to get far more than that for pitchers Mason Miller and JP Sears, adding baseball's third overall prospect in Leo De Vries. The A's also landed the Padres' third-, 13th- and 17th-best prospects in a deal that could be felt for years to come and acquired pitching prospect Kenya Huggins in a deal for outfielder Miguel Andujar just before the deadline. Having a top closer on a rebuilding team is an unnecessary luxury, especially as the A's have several options who could take Miller's place. Adding a possible cornerstone player in De Vries will help the A's have their core in place when they head to Las Vegas in 2028. Seattle Mariners land impact bats they needed The Mariners had been held back for years by their lack of offensive firepower. A trade with the Diamondbacks to land first baseman Josh Naylor a week before the deadline helped solve one sore spot in the lineup. The Mariners returned to the Diamondbacks' well, reuniting with third baseman Eugenio Suarez, then added reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Pirates before the deadline. In exchange, the Mariners traded just one of their top-10 prospects in Tyler Locklear. The Mariners made themselves much more dangerous without breaking the prospect bank. New York Yankees have the best bullpen in the AL The Yankees had several holes as the deadline approached. While Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario are not going to win a World Series on their own, the Yankees managed to cobble together something resembling a third baseman. The Yankees focused on the bullpen on Thursday, adding closers Camilo Doval and David Bednar. Reliever Jake Bird was acquired in a second trade with the Rockies. All three relievers are under team control beyond this season. Meanwhile, the Yankees held on to all of their top prospects while completely revamping the bullpen. Philadelphia Phillies finally find relief The ninth inning has been the Phillies' Achilles' heel for years. Their long search for an answer is finally over as they acquired closer Jhoan Duran from the Twins. Although the Twins received an impressive haul of prospects in return, the Phillies kept their top three prospects while potentially finding the missing piece for a championship. Philadelphia made another minor trade ahead of the deadline, adding outfielder Harrison Bader. Although he is likely a free agent after this season (he has a $10 million mutual option for 2026), Bader has solid power and speed, improving the biggest hole in the Phillies lineup without blocking prospect Justin Crawford. New York Mets build bullpen buzzsaw while fixing hole in lineup The Mets and Phillies had similar concerns with the bullpen and center field. Both teams solved those problems at the deadline. The Mets completely overhauled their bullpen, acquiring relievers Ryan Helsley, Taylor Rogers and Gregory Soto. The Mets then added a center fielder, acquiring Cedric Mullins from the Orioles for a trio of prospects. Although the Mets had been scuffling, the front office threw down the gauntlet, aggressively strengthening their weaknesses. The Mets will be a tough out in the postseason and may have the pieces for a memorable October.
Milwaukee Brewers Trade Deadline Recap: Late Moves Add Substance to Overall Conservative Approach
Jerry Jones is getting exactly what he wants with Micah Parsons drama
Do not let any of the noise and drama fool you. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is getting exactly what he wants with the Micah Parsons contract negotiation, even as it reached a boiling point on Friday with the star edge-rusher declaring a public trade demand. It's the perfect storm for Jones because all of this is doing the one thing that he loves more than anything in the world. It is keeping his team, his beloved Dallas Cowboys, as the top story in the NFL and the top headliner maker in the league. His team, his player and his story are the one thing that everybody is talking about. It's the top headline on every sports website. It's the top story on "SportsCenter" and ESPN. It's dominating the radio waves. It's put a spotlight on the Cowboys star and driven all of the NFL's discussions toward them. It doesn't matter if it's overly dramatic — or even bad press. It's still press. It's still focus on them. In Jones' world, the motto of "no press is bad press" is very much a way of life. He isn't worried about getting the best deal for the Cowboys or their salary-cap situation, and he might not even be concerned with putting the best possible team on the field. He is simply concerned with the Cowboys being the league's biggest newsmaker. There is a reason all of these big-time contract negotiations play out this way for the Cowboys. Whether it was Zack Martin, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb or Parsons, they have all played out the same way. The Cowboys dragged their feet, a holdout was either threatened or started, the bridges seemed to be burning between the player and team, the negotiations would dominate the news cycle and then eventually a new, more expensive deal would eventually emerge. That is almost certainly how this process is going to play out. Trade demands get made all the time in the NFL, and they do not guarantee a trade will get made. It is often a last-ditch negotiating tactic to speed things along. They usually work in that context. By the time the regular season rolls around, the Cowboys and Parsons will likely come to terms on a contract, and all of this will be forgotten. It will probably end up costing Jones and the organization more than it would have had they agreed to a deal sooner, but again, that wouldn't have given the Cowboys the headlines they want. It is almost as if Jones likes having to pay top dollar because then he can talk about how he negotiated and paid out the most expensive deal. It's about glitz and glamour as opposed to dollars and cents. All of this fits in with Jones' overall mindset and approach when it comes to running the Cowboys. He is the decision-maker. He is the football guy. He is the only owner who does weekly news conferences after every game as if he's the coach, and he is the only owner who does a weekly radio show discussing the X's and O's of the team. It's all about satisfying his own ego, and nothing satisfies his ego more than seeing his team and his name in the news. A drawn-out contract negotiation is the best way to do that when there are no games being played. In terms of on-field success, the Cowboys have mostly been an afterthought over the past 30 years. No Super Bowls, no NFC Championship Game appearances (the longest current drought in the NFC) and mostly mediocre finishes. Any other franchise with that sort of track record would be an afterthought in the NFL. But not the Cowboys. Not Jerry Jones. It is all by design. It's the only thing they want and care about.
Top Micah Parsons landing spots as Cowboys' contract talks deteriorate
The relationship between superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys doesn't appear to be improving. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported earlier in the week that the two sides were moving backward in their contract negotiations. On Friday, Parsons posted on his social media that he had requested a trade out of Dallas. However, The Athletic's Dianna Russini claimed the Cowboys have "no intention" of trading him. Given this information, let's take a look at three landing spots that make the most sense for Parsons. Denver Broncos The Broncos allowed the third-fewest amount of points in 2024-25 (311 points), per ESPN stats, and already have one of the best defensive units in football. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga and cornerback Jahdae Barron were added to the group this offseason, so why not continue to bolster? Denver owns all of its upcoming draft picks over the next three years, which could be used in a package to acquire Parsons. They are also set to have a ton of cap space available for 2026 and 2027, enabling them to put forth the contract offer that Parsons is seeking. With three more seasons of quarterback Bo Nix on a rookie deal, the Broncos could take advantage and go all in on the superstar pass-rusher, making a potent front seven that much more dangerous. Los Angeles Chargers The team that allowed even fewer points than the Broncos last season? The Chargers (301 points). Head coach Jim Harbaugh immediately righted the ship defensively upon his arrival, but there remain holes to fill. They've shed plenty of money in recent years, which included a former third-overall pick from 2016 in DE Joey Bosa. It's now time to use that cap space to bring in a difference maker on defense. Like Denver, Los Angeles holds all of its own draft picks from 2026 through 2028 and is capable of putting the pieces together to pry Parsons out of Dallas. Not only could the Chargers compensate the 26-year-old, but it's likely he would be fine with calling Los Angeles home. New England Patriots The Patriots currently have the most cap space in the NFL and are in a prime position to strike at any moment. It's been a difficult last few seasons in Foxborough, but the vibe has changed with new head coach Mike Vrabel taking over. The Patriots culture is back, and it's now up to the front office to provide Vrabel with more talent on both sides of the ball. New England is in desperate need of a game-breaking player. Parsons fits the mold perfectly. The Pats had a league-worst 28 sacks last season, per ESPN stats, so the pass rush could use some help. General manager Eliot Wolf is well-equipped with draft capital to feel comfortable making such a move.
Report: Knicks made a signing based on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade belief
The New York Knicks aren't waiting for the offseason drama surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks to end before taking care of a key signing for their roster this summer. Per Shams Charania of ESPN, the Knicks signed Mikal Bridges to a four-year deal worth $150M on Thursday. "New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract extension with the franchise, agents Sam Goldfeder and Jordan Gertler of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN," Charania posted on X. "The new deal includes a player option for 2029-30 and a trade kicker." Bridges' extension might not have happened if the Knicks believed they had a serious shot to land an elite player in a trade this summer. Per Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire, the Knicks made their decision to sign Bridges to a new deal after they learned Antetokounmpo plans to stay in Milwaukee. "The New York Knicks got intel that Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t request a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks before signing Mikal Bridges to an extension, an NBA source told Hoops Wire on Thursday," Mathur wrote. "...The Knicks would have pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo had the two-time MVP requested a trade from the Bucks. All signs point toward Antetokounmpo remaining in Milwaukee." Due to the player option Bridges has in his new deal, the guard cannot be traded for at least six months. Mathur's report signals the reality that New York wants to land another star to pair with Jalen Brunson. However, the Knicks might not make a big splash until the trade deadline next year. The Knicks need a big man who can score and play defense at a high level in the playoffs, something Karl-Anthony Towns was unable to do in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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